Date Visited : February 19, 2009 State Number: 21

Contact Information: Piedmont Blood Center 186 East Main Street Spartansburg, SC 29306     NO LONGER IN BUSINESS

Giving Blood Is His True Passion
By: Dudley Brown

Al Whitney gave blood for the first time 44 years ago, and it's been a passion ever since.Whitney, 71, lives in Avon Lake, Ohio, and he spent the past couple of days in Spartanburg sharing advice he's collected from organizing blood drives, recruiting for more blood and platelet donors and donating platelets.

 

South Carolina was the 21st state he visited for his Platelets Across America tour. He hopes to eventually visit all 50 states. "In 1965, I was in Cleveland and donated whole blood," Whitney said. "I remember it just like it was yesterday. I walked out thinking, 'I could do more than this.' "

 

He soon started organizing blood drives at his church and donating platelets. Almost two years ago, he started thinking he could do more again while donating platelets. He decided he would visit all 50 states to donate them and meet with civic groups to discuss the importance of such donations.

 

Whitney, a retired factory worker, has a Web site and calls blood banks to set up days he can visit. "I'm doing this as often as I can," said Whitney, who hasn't set a deadline to visit all 50 states. "I'm doing this out of pocket and pay for my own travel." He asks the blood banks to pay for his lodging at a local hotel. His wife of 46 years doesn't travel with him - it's all business. "I'm not coming to sightsee," Whitney said. "I come to be put to work."

 

He spoke to the Spartanburg Kiwanis Club on Wednesday morning and shared tips on organizing blood drives with Piedmont Blood Center's staff. "I'm not something that happens that often," Whitney said. "The blood banks are sitting around and get a call from this guy in Cleveland wanting to come to donate." Elizabeth Duley, Piedmont Blood Center's donor recruitment specialist, said the agency's 22-year-old webmaster was impressed by Whitney and wrote a blog on his Facebook page about meeting him.

 

Andrea Wall, public relations coordinator for the Piedmont Blood Center, said the blood bank is trying to expand its donor base. "We're a 34-year-old blood bank and need a new donor base," Wall said. "We're in need of blood donors. We're trying to reach out to different age groups. We're now on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter." Wall said aging donors and plant closings have taken away from the center's donor base. The agency said its Web site had more than 3,000 visits in January, after receiving 600 hits in December. Meanwhile, Whitney said he's enjoyed his visits the various blood banks and learning about their needs. "It's just something I've grown into that's extremely important to me," he said.